


An Unexpected Event

by Bonfoi



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Romance, Schmoop, Suspense, post-DH
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-17
Updated: 2013-03-17
Packaged: 2017-12-05 14:03:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/724111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bonfoi/pseuds/Bonfoi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Severus has survived Nagini, escaped the reach of the Aurors, and is now attempting to brew a most special potion.  Is it really too much to ask that things go as planned now?</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Unexpected Event

**Author's Note:**

> Life has a way of being out of your control, but still getting you where you need to be.
> 
> * * *
> 
> A minor bit of editing for clarity: 2 September 2014.

§¤§¤*§*¤§¤§ 

****  
_ Disclaimer:_  
The world of Harry Potter, its characters and settings are the copyrighted works of J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., her publishing companies and affiliates. No profit was made from the writing of this story nor was any malice intended in any way, shape or form to the author or the actors/actresses who so brilliantly have brought them to life.

This author is not responsible for underage readers. Please observe the ratings, warnings, and age of legal consent for your country.

§¤§¤*§*¤§¤§ 

Severus wiped the sweat from his forehead with his forearm. It had been a tense week: he'd survived Nagini's bite and the loss of his memories to Lily's boy; he'd Port-keyed away without a hitch to his safe house; and, he'd stumbled over an ancient recipe to "tame the beast within". Any of these things would be the highlight of his days, but the last, the recipe he was working on...that could save Re-someone special's life...if he was still alive. If not, Severus would perfect it in his memory, a way to honour the man and his latent bravery.

The crucible smoking before him fizzed and popped, the liquid inside a strange swirling miasma of green and mauve. He slowly added the finely ground _Trifolium pratense_ with a determinedly steady hand, a pinch every ten seconds until the powder was mixed into the liquid with measured stirs of an ebony stirring rod. Next, he began to intone an even older rhyme credited to the Druids; the fizzes and pops began to follow the rhythm of his words and as the rhyme ended, so too did the fizzing and popping.

Severus set the potion into the lamb's-wool-lined cedar chest he'd had commissioned specifically for it. His hands shook as he uncurled his fingers from the flask. The potion smoked as it cooled, and with a cautious wafting motion, Severus sniffed the warm fog. He didn't catch himself as he fell to the floor in a dead faint.

»¤«∞»¤«

The world was tinted with green. Everywhere Severus looked, the sky, the bark, even the gravel beneath his feet—shockingly wrapped in supple leather—everything was green, or some variety of it.

"Merlin's tits!" he swore. "Where am I?"

"Severus, you should know better than to take that great magician's name in vain."

Severus spun around, his robes—dark green—flaring around him. Seated upon a mushroom and smoking a hookah that belched lemon-smelling smoke was Albus Dumbledore. The very dead Albus Dumbledore, whom he had watched disappear over the edge of the Astronomy Tower, and his former mentor and saviour, was—

"Severus, you're overthinking things again," Albus chastised Severus through several smoke rings. "The potion you found is more potent than just a cure for lycanthropy." He put his mouthpiece upon his lips and sucked, the water in the hookah gurgling merrily as he inhaled. Then he smiled and loop-de-loops of smoke issued from each ear. "There, that's better. Clears the cobwebs. But, returning to you... Severus, in your brilliance, you delved into ancient lore and knowledge to save someone you publically reviled and belittled, a conundrum that invited the vapours to seek out the real reason."

"What 'real reason' could I have except to repay a life debt?" Severus asked from behind gritted teeth. All the green was making him uncomfortable, not that the fact he was speaking with the man he'd killed didn't.

Albus slid down off his mushroom cap _sans_ hookah and plucked a whimsical cap from the very air. Somehow, it was white, but with green and red stitchery making a strange, shifting design. Albus set it on his grey head with a laughing sigh and advanced toward Severus with a determined gleam in his twinkling eyes.

"Severus, my boy, you cannot hide the beast within, not from this potion. Even the vapours are potent, and you, dear boy, didn't just inhale a small bit of them." Albus came close enough to put both hands on Severus' shoulders. Severus flinched and then stared determinedly over Albus' shoulder.

Little hearts with trefoils all over them appeared around Severus' head and Albus gave a delighted laugh. "See, you love him! It's so clear that even you should see that. You love Remus Lupin with everything within you." 

Severus shook off Albus' hands and stepped back, finally looking his dead mentor in the face. "What business is it of yours? He's more than likely dead, and even if he isn't, he's got Nymphadora and his son—yes, I knew about that." Severus winced. "I was the one that spiked his hot chocolate at Grimmauld House so she could press her suit."

"Severus, how could you?" Albus shook his head. "That means it wasn't his choice! You can't just drug a man into marriage."

"You forget, I came of age with a great many Purebloods, Albus. If there's a love match in my year, I'll kiss Potter on the lips. Every great marriage—even Lucius'—began with a love philtre."

"Oh, Severus..." Albus' form began to waver and the overwhelming green colours began to fade. "The potion has unlocked your beast, and tamed it, but you'll have to pay for what you did to Remus and Nymphadora..."

»¤«∞»¤«

Fawkes arrived at No. Twelve Grimmauld Place, a heavy vellum scroll in his talons. He landed lightly, and without a sound, at Remus' bedside. Tonks reached for the scroll and Fawkes nipped the air above her hand, which she withdrew with alacrity and a frown.

"Just because you're a phoenix doesn't mean you can't be nice about things, you know?" Tonks hissed in a whisper.

"Hmm...wha's that?" 

"Remus! You're awake!" Tonks exclaimed, making the man on the bed wince at the high pitch and the aborted hug she attempted. Fawkes looked on and then hopped onto the bed, scroll held out to Remus with a glaring look in Tonks' direction.

"Water?"

"Uh, yeah...there's a pitcher downstairs..."

"Tonks, why don't you see how Harry's doing? Fawkes and I can deal with each other..." Remus licked his lips. "Water would be wonderful."

"Oh. Yeah, yeah, I'll just go get it. Be right back, Remus, lickety-split."

Fawkes and Remus watched with varying degrees of attention while Tonks fumbled herself out of the bedroom. The door shut behind her with a directed gust of air from Fawkes' wings and then the phoenix presented the scroll once more to Remus.

"Thank you, Fawkes." Remus took the scroll, his fingers cooling on the heavy vellum as he unrolled it enough to read the message transcribed upon it. The ink was greenish, but it had hints of mauve in it. Remus read the message twice, the last time rubbing his fingers over the words as if to imprint them upon his own skin. When he heard a thump at the door, he rolled it back up and hid it under his blankets, next to his right hip. 

"It's open, Tonks," Remus called out.

The door opened, not to Tonks, but to Harry's smiling, bruised face. "Hi ya, Remus. I met Tonks on the way down and decided I'd rather spend some time with you and not the crowd downstairs." He held out a tray with two glasses and a pitcher of chilly water with lemon slices floating in it. "Kreacher says you need lemony water to help you stomach some food later on." He set down the tray, poured out two glasses and handed one to Remus before sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Hi, Fawkes," Harry finally said. His voice was soft and the phoenix nestled close, cooing against the young man's shoulder. Remus watched the two come to grips with their own pain as he sipped his water slowly.

Once Fawkes had settled down between Remus and Harry, Remus looked at Harry questioningly. 

"Something strange is going on." Harry petted Fawkes' feathers as Remus remained silent. "I got a scroll, too, earlier. It seems Snape wasn't the bastard he made us believe."

"Harry! Professor Snape did everything he could to keep you sa—"

Harry interjected, "To keep me safe, I know, I know. But, now I believe it." Harry looked earnestly into Remus' face. "My message was filled with things that make so much sense now. But..." Harry smiled slightly. "I guess, I mean, did Snape really trick you into marrying Tonks?"

Remus laughed. "You continue to surprise me, Harry. I do love Tonks, but I shouldn't have married her. She knows that, in her heart, as she's been casting longingly glances at Charlie for the past few times I've seen them together." Remus spoke without rancour, his own slight smile bending his lips. "I know Teddy is my son, but Tonks really isn't my wife; she's the woman I married during a war that I thought I wouldn't survive."

Harry leaned back and stared at Remus. "You're not mad at Snape, Professor Snape? I mean, he basically gave you to her on a platter," he said with a wondering laugh. "And you're talking to me about this, too...why?"

Remus reached out and gently smoothed his hand over Fawkes' wing. "I didn't expect to live this long, Harry, and lying here, half-dead and then not, I've had time to think. You were right to harangue me about Tonks—at the time—since I had set myself on that path, and with that in mind, you were looking out for both of us, and perhaps yourself, when you did it. I didn't miss the fact you weren't looking at Ginny in the Great Hall after the Battle, Harry, and I have a feeling you might have been wondering what you're missing by following what others want for you..." Remus reached out farther and grabbed Harry's hand. 

"Don't live your life to please anyone's expectations, Harry," he began fervently. "You fought their war, and now you deserve to live your life. With the person of your choosing. War makes strange bedfellows and, using me as a warning, you'll leave the bedfellows of this war behind and follow your heart, like I should have."

"Are you going to follow your heart this time, Remus?" Harry asked softly.

"Once I'm healthy, I think I will, Harry. But, I'll need your help. Can you ask Kreacher for the Black family solicitors? And I'll have to talk to Tonks so we can free her for Charlie and still keep my rights to Teddy..."

"You know, you're taking this very strangely, really." Harry wriggled a bit in place. "I mean, you're awfully calm."

"For once in my life, I feel, I guess you might say, at peace, Harry. It's the first time I ever felt this way, and my thinking's very clear, too." The two of them lapsed into silence but for the sleeping coos of Fawkes.

»¤«∞»¤«

Months later, Remus waved goodbye to Tonks and her new husband, Charlie. He and Molly got on much better as some kind of in-laws.

Harry stood at Remus' side, his right pinkie curled around the left pinkie of Draco Malfoy. Andromeda Tonks bounced Teddy in her arms with a soft smile on her face as Narcissa Malfoy dabbed daintily at make-believe tears of joy. Ron and Hermione were wrapped in each other's arms and waving madly; Tonks had let Hermione plan most of her wedding this time.

"Well, Molly, it looks like this marriage is a much better fit all around." Remus gave his friend a buss on her blushing cheek.

"I had Kreacher pack a magical rucksack for you, Remus." Harry murmured.

"Ha! _I_ had Kreacher do the packing. The grotty house-elf only wanted to feed Harry!" Draco Malfoy muttered under his breath, making Remus chuckle.

Remus turned toward his former mother-in-law and held out his hands for Teddy. Her smile faded a bit, but she transferred her grandson to Remus' waiting arms. 

"Hey, Ted ol' boy, your old man is going adventuring," Remus whispered into Teddy's small ear. "When I come back, you'll have another parent. I hope. So, wish me luck, little man?" Teddy gurgled and patted Remus' face with a toothless smile. "Thank you, Teddy. I'll see you soon."

»¤«∞»¤«

Remus followed the clues hidden in the scroll he'd received so many months ago and found himself standing in front of an overgrown cottage. The lawn, the window box, even the thatch roof were boasting bunches and bunches of shamrocks!

"Hallo! Hallo in there! Anyone home?" Remus called out.

There was a rustling sound and then nothing. Remus crept closer and pushed at the door, unsurprised that it wasn't latched. The rustling came again, this time with the crunch of dry parchment.

" _Lumos!_ " Remus raised his lit wand and stared at the sight before his eyes. It looked as if Severus Snape's laboratory from Hogwarts had been transplanted to the abandoned cottage. There were flasks and pipettes, various stirring rods and ingredients, even the man's favourite cauldrons lined up on a long trestle table. On one table there was a box with lamb's-wool and a still smoking potion in a flask. Remus approached it carefully, but when nothing jumped out at him, he leaned forward, raising a hand to waft some of the smoke toward his nose. He inhaled deeply, moaning at the fresh, clean smell. Then he fell to the floor, unconscious.

»¤«∞»¤«

Remus found himself standing in a field of shamrocks and clovers. Everything was green! He laughed happily when he picked some shamrocks and chewed them, the lemony-fresh taste bursting on his tongue.

"Oh, this is wonderful!" he said with a laugh.

"Trust you to think it's wonderful."

Remus whirled around toward the voice and found himself face-to-face with Severus Snape's scowling visage. He didn't think; he lunged forward and pulled the man into a crushing hug.

"Oh, you are a beautiful sight for sore eyes, Severus!" 

Severus went still in shock, the warmth of Remus' chest pressed against his something he'd never thought to feel... "Me, beautiful?" he croaked out. Then Severus wriggled and squirmed until Remus' hold was loosened, but didn't release him.

"I've been looking for you for months," Remus said in a rush. He was grinning from ear-to-ear.

"Well, I've been here, wherever here is." Severus made a sour face.

A fulsome laugh came from behind his back and Severus rolled his eyes, making Remus laugh. Severus turned within Remus' hold and found himself pressed against the man's chest, that strong heart beating hard enough to jolt Severus' into a stronger pace as well.

"Albus?"

Back on his mushroom, hookah spewing out purplish smoke that smelled of lemons, Albus Dumbledore looking down on his former charges. "Hello, Remus. Glad you could decipher my clues." He blew a series of smoke doodles, one of which looked a bit like a wolf howling, and looked at the men through the smoke as it dissipated. "I see you've found Severus."

Remus wrapped his arms around Severus' waist and held him tight. He knew Severus well. Since Severus was lunging forward, it was a wise choice.

"Hush, Severus, hush. We'll find our way back. Together." Remus soothed the man with words and a firm grip.

Albus chuckled and banished the hookah, a lemon-shaped lolly taking its place in his grasp. "He's correct, Severus. The potion you created needs to work on two beings to make one outcome, hence the trefoil." He looked smug and then licked the lolly like a ten-year-old.

"You...you..." Severus huffed out disjointedly.

"Albus, enough is enough. I'm here now. How do Severus and I get out of here?" Remus' voice was stern, and Albus' twinkling eyes dimmed. "Have you really been that lonely that you didn't let Severus know he could leave any time?" Remus asked quietly.

"What?" Severus struggled in Remus' arms.

"He's right, you know, Severus. It's lonely being dead. My portrait didn't allow me to...to interact with people anymore. When this opportunity came, I jumped at the chance to see my most promising pupil living his life. But..."

"But you got caught up in having someone to talk to again, to manipulate, to push hither and yon," Severus growled.

"No." Albus slid off the mushroom, his lolly disappearing in a greenish flash. "No, Severus, not that. I just, well, I just missed talking with you. You were always so interesting." Albus held out his hand in a silent plea. Severus looked at it and crossed his arms over his chest. Remus held out one hand and grasped Albus'.

"He'll forgive you when we get out of this, Albus. I know he will. But, right now, we need to get to the real world so we _can_ live our lives to the fullest, just like you want us to." Remus tugged Albus closer. "Now, if we make a threesome—"

Severus choked back a startled laugh and Remus cleared his throat. "Ah, put all three of us in a hug, could that end this spell or whatever it is?"

Albus nodded and opened his arms to hug Severus and Remus. "That should work. Hug me back, Severus, and you'll be free of this place forever."

Severus grumbled, but he put his arms around Albus, suddenly feeling thankful for the time he'd spent with the man who had offered him a way out of the darkness he had foolishly embraced. "Thank you, Albus," Severus whispered.

The three of them disappeared from the strange green world between one breath and the next.

»¤«∞»¤«

Remus found himself in the abandoned cottage, but with Severus in his arms. Both of them flailed a bit, but Remus' sense of balance kept them upright.

"You can let me go now, Lupin. I know you don't want to hold me anymore."

"You are so wrong, Severus." Remus nuzzled his chin into Severus' hair, his lips brushing over Severus' ear erotically. "I've been looking for you all my life, and never seeing you until you created this amazing potion." Remus pointed his elbow toward the table and the box with the still smoking flask.

Severus looked, blinked, and then, he laughed. He kept laughing, even as Remus turned him in his arms and just held him against his chest. They stood like that, the smoke from the flask slowly filling air they were breathing. Finally, Severus took a gulp of air and his laughter broke down into gasping cries and tears began to soak Remus' shoulder.

"Severus, hush, Severus, you're not alone anymore." Remus could feel the smoke from the flask filling his lungs and calming something, something buried deep, something that had raged and howled and torn into his psyche...he took one deep breath, breathing in Severus and the smoke and felt the beast inside finally stop raging and tearing at him. He breathed deeply once more, settling Severus against his chest more firmly, and felt whole for the first time in his life. 

Severus felt the difference in Remus' embrace as he inhaled. The hold was more loving, more protective than anything Severus had ever known. Remus' body curled around Severus' as if he could keep out the pain and the loss...

"Thank you."

Remus smiled against Severus' temple. "You're welcome."

"I think I can stand on my own now."

"But what if I don't want you to?"

Severus huffed out a chuckle against Remus' throat, realizing belatedly he'd turned his head without thinking. The skin was warm, smelling of man and books and nature...and it was making saliva pool in his mouth.

"You can kiss me if you want, Severus." Remus extended his neck as if he could read Severus' mind. "I want you to."

Severus kissed the throat offered to him, licking and sucking and nipping to taste Remus' sweat and skin. He almost purred at the richness of the tastes on his tongue and then he pulled himself away to look dazedly up into Remus' clear blue eyes. Severus leaned forward and then back with a happy sound.

"Your eyes," he breathed out.

"I think your potion has calmed the beast, Severus," Remus responded with a smile. "Somehow, I don't think I'll be transforming into a ravening beast anymore, and it's all thanks to you." Remus bent his head and kissed Severus properly for the first time. The smoke from the flask wreathed the pair as they kissed, tinting the air pale green until it suddenly disappeared. 

Minutes or hours later, Remus lifted his head from Severus' lips, gasping out as a searching hand rubbed up and down his clothed penis. "Oh, Severus, we need a bed," Remus moaned.

"I have one, Remus." Severus licked his lips. "It might need some cleaning, but it will serve us well." Severus looked around, and then began moving toward a door Remus hadn't seen before. Like the outer door, this door was unlocked, but it opened into a bright bedroom, dust motes floating in the disturbed air.

" _Abstergeo! Reficio!_ " Severus flourished his wand and then tossed it onto the bedside table. He then concentrated on removing Remus' robes and jacket.

Remus waved his own wand to open the window to the cleansing air of late winter and tossed it to rest over Severus'. He stood at ease as Severus unwrapped him like a gift.

"You know we have magic and by picking up those wands, we could be naked faster," Remus murmured against Severus' forehead.

"Takes all the fun of discovery out of the equation," Severus muttered. "Ah..." Severus leaned forward to lick the divot of Remus' throat. "See?"

Remus moaned and then tore at Severus' clothes, fumbling fingers removing buttons when he couldn't wiggle them through buttonholes. Soon, they were pressing their naked chests together, hearts pounding and vibrating between them. Severus reached behind Remus and flicked the bedroom door closed as Remus was working on his belt.

»¤«∞»¤«

Helga Hufflepuff shared a cup of tea with Godric Gryffindor. They watched the image in the enchanted mirror grow fuzzy and out of focus as the door closed. With a sigh, she held her tea cup up in a silent toast and was rewarded by the clink of Godric's against it.

"I'd say that's one match that's taken decades to consummate." 

"Godric Gryffindor!" Helga chided him. "You and Salazar played with those boys as if they were chess pieces." She set her tea cup down with a sharp clink of porcelain. "It shouldn't have taken me fiddling with Albus' afterlife to set things straight."

"Helga, you miss the point. If we didn't let them make mistakes, those two would have died years ago. Of course, they'd have been in love and all that rot, but neither one would have been alive to save young Harry." Godric sipped at his tea and watched his fellow Founder mentally chew on that.

"Well, that's neither here nor there," Helga finally said with a superior sniff. "Those lovely boys deserved happiness years earlier."

"Well, never fear, Helga."

Helga and Godric turned toward the new speaker. Salazar Slytherin was leaning against a column of iridescent stone, dressed head to toe in shades of green, with small shamrocks edging his robe hem and sleeves. "You can guide young Harry and Draco's match. Godric and I are going to work on some overdue romance in those Slytherin couples that deserve it." He held out his hand and Godric rose to clasp it warmly in his big one. "We'll show them how it's done. Properly."

Godric smirked over Salazar's head as he turned away. Trust his lover to take full advantage of myth and magic.

§¤§¤*§*¤§¤§ 

_~~~ Comments, like rain in the desert, are greatly appreciated.  
Thank you for reading. ~~~_  


**Author's Note:**

> [Shamrock @ Plant-lore.com](http://www.plant-lore.com/plantofthemonth/shamrock/)
> 
> * * *
> 
> [English to Latin: Clean](http://www.archives.nd.edu/cgi-bin/lookdown.pl?clean</a)
> 
> * * *
> 
> [English to Latin: Refresh](http://www.archives.nd.edu/cgi-bin/lookdown.pl?refresh)


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